1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a riding simulation system for providing an operator with a pseudo-experience of a running condition of a motorcycle, and more particularly to a riding simulation system displaying scenery seen to the rider as a visual image on a display based on an operating condition of operation designated by the operator.
2. Description of the Background Art
Riding simulation systems for providing an operator with a pseudo-experience of running conditions of a motorcycle by displaying various running conditions on a display in response to various operations performed by the operator have been adopted in the background art for the purpose of entertainment, in the education of the proper operation of a motorcycle, etc.
For example, a riding simulation system for entertainment has a structure in which a steering handle shaft portion extending toward the upper side of a base member having a lower surface formed to be a roughly flat surface shape is provided, and steering handles extending leftwards and rightwards are disposed at a top portion of the steering handle shaft portion. In addition, a box-like instrument panel box having a control panel at its top face is provided at a top portion of the steering handle shaft portion, and steering handles are disposed respectively in leftward and rightward directions from side surfaces of the instrument panel box.
In addition, the steering handles are fitted respectively with a right lever functioning as a brake lever for a front wheel and a left lever for a clutch changeover operation, and an accelerating operation of the motorcycle displayed on the display is effected through a right grip for acceleration which is provided rotatably at a right end portion of the steering handles.
With the riding simulation system mounted on a flat surface such as a floor, the player of the entertainment system grips the steering handles, turns the steering handles around the steering handle shaft portion serving as a center according to the operating condition, turns the right grip as required to effect an accelerating operation of the motorcycle displayed on the display, and/or operates the right lever and the left lever to effect deceleration and perform gear change operations.
In this case, the turning amount of the steering handles, the turning amount of the right grip, the operation amounts of the right lever and the left lever, and the like are outputted as output signals to a circuit substrate provided in the inside of the instrument panel box. The output signals are subjected to data processing in the circuit substrate, and the results of the processing are displayed as the running conditions of the motorcycle on the display. By visually confirming the display, the player gets a pseudo-experience of the operation of the motorcycle.
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2002-113264 (paragraphs [0010] to [0023]), the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference, provides an exemplary riding simulation system of the background art. In the riding simulation system according to this reference, the circuit substrate for performing the data processing based on the operation amounts of the steering handles, the right grip, the right lever and the left lever and outputting the results of the processing to the exterior is provided in the inside of the instrument panel box.
However, the present inventor has determined that the systems of the background art suffer from the following disadvantages. The instrument panel box may be increased in size with respect to the height direction by an amount corresponding to the incorporation of the circuit substrate therein. As a result, there is a concern that the instrument panel box having an increased size in the height direction would restrict the field of view when the player visually confirms the display which is disposed on the front side of the riding simulation system. In addition, since the circuit substrate is incorporated in the instrument panel box, maintenance thereof is intricate and/or complex to perform.